Patinas Galore: Create Over 300 Colorful Effects on Silver, Copper, Brass, Bronze, Steel, and Other Metals

It's finally here–the mega-book of patina recipes! With over 300 metal patina samples and detailed recipes and instructions for achieving them, it's a metalsmith's dream book. And if you're a little bit of a metal patinas geek like me, you'll LOVE Matthew Runfola's new book Patinas: 300+ Coloration Effects for Jewelers & Metalsmiths.

Here's an excerpt about observing, about gaining inspiration and ideas for color, pattern, and texture on metal from the world around you.

Observing: Color and Pattern Inspiration

From Patinas: 300+ Coloration Effects for Jewelers & Metalsmiths

By Matthew Runfola

Color and pattern influences can be found in nearly everything visible. Much of color and color pattern has to do with adding emotion or feeling to a work. Be critical with your observations: determine if the object or composition is engaging to your eye, then identify why it is so. Does the color or pattern help generate feelings toward the object? Do not discount negative emotions or feelings, as these are just as powerful as positive ones. Use the appropriate colors and patterns to convey the feelings you want with your work. For example, calm and soothing colors may be the wrong choice if applied to a work that speaks of energy.

NATURE: Nature produces a wide variety of colors and shapes. Look to flora, fauna, and fungi for earth tone colors, curved shapes, and interesting textures.		DEGRADATION: Decomposition, decay, and erosion can all have powerful visual impact. Whether natural or man-made, look for dark color inconsistencies, heavy eaten-away texture, and a sense of reduction.
VISUAL TEXTURE: Tree bark, manhole covers, and loose-knit fabrics all have strong tactile qualities that can inspire and become the basis for jewelry and metalwork pieces.		ORGANIC: Look out for flowing lines and curves suggesting movement and growth when thinking about an organic feel. Growth rings of trees, wave sets on the ocean, petals on a flower are all fine organic examples.
CALMNESS: Smooth surfaces, cool colors, and gentle curves all evoke a sense of calmness when added to a form.		ENERGY: Visually busy lines and patterns, diagonals, and warm colors can be used to indicate feelings of energy.
MOVEMENT: Movement can be suggested by using flowing lines or patterns across a surface, either vertically or horizontally. Use lines and patterns to convey myriad types of movement.		ARCHITECTURE: Look to architecture for repetitive patterns, geometric forms, and neutral colors. Smooth and ornate surfaces abound in buildings and provide a great source of inspiration.
WARM COLORS: Warm colors such as reds, oranges, and yellows tend to advance from cool colors when adjacent to each other. Warm colors have a sense of energy, excitement, and passion.		COOL COLORS: Violets, blues, and greens are considered cool and recede from warm colors when adjacent to each other. Cool colors are associated with calmness and relaxation.
		All images copyright Quarto Publishing.

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I can't say enough exciting things about this book. It includes page after page of techniques for creating patinas (burying, wrapping, fuming, masking, immersion, heating, chemicals, spraying, brushing, and more), colorful effects to achieve on a variety of metals (steel, stainless steel, aluminum, bronze, silver, copper, and brass) and the variables involved with each, along with safety and workspace information and diagrams to create the most effective space for creating gorgeous patinas on metal. There are also sections on aesthetics, surface preparation, a detailed pro and con breakdown to help you decide which techniques are best for your metals and designs, color theory lessons, a metal comparison chart, hundreds and hundreds of large clear photos to drool over as you pick which patinas to use in the patination directory, and more.

And did I mention that there are over 300 colorful effects you can create using the detailed recipes and techniques in this book? Three hundred plus!! (Those are some of my favorites, above.) You won't want to miss out on this informative eye candy!